Album Details

• Artist: The Dead C
• Album: Vain, Erudite And Stupid: Selected Works, 1987-2005
• Label: Ba Da Bing
• Year of Release: 2006
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2007-07-06

For over twenty years now, this New Zealand noise trio have consistently cranked out eccentric, claustrophobic little ditties that have more often than not relied upon the electric guitar, laptop and drums to tell the sordid tale. This is a double set of choice cuts that cut cut cut. I should have said dig dig dig, as this is a band that picks at psychic scabs.When listening to the Dead C, you get the feeling that you are listening to the end of the Velvet’s "Sister Ray," had they continued on, or the missing ten minutes or so of the Beatles’ "Helter Skelter" jam. In the midst of the skronk of "Matt Harris" and "Power," there is the quiet, introspective, obsessive noodling of tunes like "Angel," that are truly disturbing.

You never get the sense that TDC are playing up any naivete or conceit in their Outsider explorations; they mean it and can are delivering it exactly as planned. That is what creates both the sinister/moving feeling here, and in the depth and beauty of their art. Not an easy listen, but why would you want one? There is a majesty and nakedness here, both in simple ideas like the 1 minute plus "Glass Hole Pit" or in the ten minute and change "Helen Said This." Powerful, and certainly, at least, closer to my fears and hopes for myself and for rock than I care to admit, but just did.

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